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28.2.14

I think by now you probably are noticing that my imagination is pretty wild. I am also lucky enough to be able to freely express myself as an artist. I got nobody to tell me No. : ) It is just the girls and I and they think what I do is pretty swell. This is one of my favorite projects of all time. One because I love books and it is inspired by one of my favorite books and two, it has a lot of sentimental meanings.

My favorite book of all time is called The Shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. In the book, there is this secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books where old and forgotten titles are lovingly preserved. As an avid reader and lover of books, this strike a cord with me. I imagined this vast secret library filled with layer and layer of old dusty books. So I decided I needed my own dusty book archway.

It took me a few sleepless nights to figure out how to do this. First I thought maybe I will build a bookcase around the doorway but it would be an accident waiting to happen. Then I realized I have a bunch of book binders left over from my vintage book wallpaper project. But there was no way it was going to be enough. I needed so much more.

This is the sentimental part. The day I decided to do this project was the day I signed my divorce paper. It is funny because my friends say I never stop and my therapist will probably say it is because I don't have to deal with reality but for me, creating is the only way I know how to survive. And survive I did. I went with my grandmother to the court and after everything was done, she asked what would I like to do. I told her, I needed to go to a flea market and get 100 books. Knowing me pretty well, she just said OK. That night after the girls went to bed, we spent all night ripping the covers off. I know...I know it broke my heart too but the end result was worth it.

I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea. Normally I love anything Shabby French Cottage with a bit of glamour thrown in there. This was more artsy part of me.

My very own secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books. All dusty but forever adored.

24.2.14

Hi, my name is Victoria and I am a recovering Home Goods addict. Really bad addiction. Every Friday after dropping Bella off at gymnastic, Aurora and I do our weekly Home Goods walk through. The problem is it is never just a walk through. I have to, HAVE TO, come home with something. Home Goods is like this beautiful vampire that mesmerize you into thinking you need anything and every thing in that store. It sucks you dry but you keep going back for more. I finally have to break up with Home Goods. It was bad and messy and a lot of tears were shed but I did it. But over the weekend my bff got me Home Goods gift card as my birthday present...oh yes, the big 3-0. I look at that card like Smeagol from Lord of the Rings...with my little eyes popping out and chanting "my precious." Anyway, this is what I came home with.

It actually is more blue than the pictures.

This is the real color. Like it. Love it. So happy with it.

I love using scraps of fabric as wall treatment. I think it makes the space more personal and goes well with my budget.

This is my pantry and I used old pillow cases on this one. A little bit of Mod Podge and Voila!

My grandmother gave me this little "kitchen island." I painted it and used left over fabric to dress it up a bit. I have the world smallest kitchen and it is very outdated. I know it is going to be years until I can afford to renovate anything. I have to say though, almost all of my crazy projects have been done in the kitchen...like the fridge and my vintage books wallpaper.

I have been trying to do a lot of little projects around the house. I am in the process of redoing my bedroom and this is my inspiration.

20.2.14

I get most of my best ideas at two in the morning. I find myself wide awake with such excitement while trying to figure out how I would logically turn this idea into a reality. Then the torture of waiting all day the next day until we are free to head out to Home Depot or where ever the destination is. The guys from Home Depot know us pretty well. Here comes the little crazy lady with two kids in the cart asking them about some outrageous projects. Yup, that is me. This time around, it was to turn my old ugly fridge into a shabby French beauty. I know it sounds crazy but I have to tell you, I think this is one of the best projects I ever came up with. This is what it used to look like...dirty and outdated.

This is another example of getting too excited and forgetting to take a before picture. I did this project about a year ago. In retrospect, I wish I had really planned it out and ordered better looking appliques instead of rushing and just getting stuff at Home Depot. Lesson learned. I am going to apologize for the next sets of picture because we haven't had a sunny day in awhile.

Here it is. When I was writing this post I thought maybe I should freshen up the paint. Then I realized I don't have any more Annie Sloan's Duck Egg and it would take a few days to get here. This is the perfect example of my complete lack of patience. This beauty looks pretty good for a whole year of rough handling without any wax on it.

I didn't have any dark wax when I did this project. So I mixed clear wax with dark brown paint to antique it a bit. At one in the morning, I think it was the best I could come up with. : ) I do wish I have another old fridge to do this project properly again and show you step by step. But in the mean time, I am quite content with it.

19.2.14

I feel like I have been MIA for awhile even though it has only been a few days since I last posted. I have this idea in my mind that since my brain never stop I was going to keep creating and creating and post every day. What an amateur. Both of the girls are still sick and with the snow, I think they are starting to plot mutiny against me. Then I got food poisoning. I have a confession to make. I LOVE food. Like love it. Like I day dream about it. My friends always say I live according to my cravings...which is very true. Like the time, I was warned over and over again not to eat street foods while traveling...you know the kind of deliciousness of unknowns that mesmerized your senses and chanted "come to me. You want to eat me. You will not use your rational brain to question this questionable meat that is floating in this questionable soup." You find yourself walking straight toward this little food cart by a very dirty river...hands stretched out, eyes wide open and smiling ear to ear to devour whatever it is this little old lady is cooking. I usually try to reason with myself or whoever my traveling companion is with comments like "I am Asian. I won't get sick." And it got me every single time. The next day at some local hospital with an IV in my arm and thinking to myself, "this is it. I am going to die in some little hospital because I had to eat things I shouldn't eat. It was delicious though. I wonder if she will still be there when I get out of this hospital. I am dying." Well this time it wasn't because of some yummy food in an exotic country. It was the Chinese food down the street! If it was going to try to kill me, at least be delicious! Ok enough venting. This is what I've been working on all week.

Look at this beauty. She is everything I love in furniture. Chippy and distressed but still gorgeous.

This is what she used to look like.

Now here she is. Every time I paint, I think up a story of where this piece of furniture has been.

I think for me, she was once grand and beautiful and gilded gold.

Then time and history forget about her.

There she sits...covered in age and wisdom.

If you look closely enough you can still see and feel her former glory.

I think I am going to keep her. Wouldn't you too if she was yours? It is a perfect place to put all my vintage plates and bowls.

15.2.14

I don't actually hate gardening. I am just clueless at it. I've never gardened in my life but last summer I caught the gardening bug...in a big way. My house is a small one story ranch style home...not a lot of personality...well at least not my kind of personality. I imagine we live in a little cottage in the middle of wild flower fields where birds can talk and I can sing like Snow White. You get the point.
But in reality my house looks like this.

Not a good picture of the house since you can only see part of it but it is a good picture of what my front yard used to look like. Plain. My little brain went on overdrive and I got overly ambitious last summer. I decided I was going to make myself a cottage garden...white picket fence and all. I told my friends and they just said "You're crazy and that is why we love you." So I ripped out my front yard and went to town. This is what it looks like after a week.

But boy,was it worth it? Sorry for the blurriness of the pictures. I am really hoping most of them come back after this brutal winter. I have big plans for the backyard this summer. So on this cold snowy night, this is what I am daydreaming about.